LAHORE:
Railways workers disrupted trains and road traffic in protest at unpaid salaries in the city here on Saturday.
The workers stopped locomotives during a protest at the Lahore Washing Line, delaying several other trains as well in the process. They chanted slogans accusing the government and Railways administration of ruining the state rail service and neglecting its many workers.
The protestors later marched from the City Railway Station to Ghari Shahu Bridge and blocked the road. Addressing the rally, the workers’ leaders said they had formed an alliance to “save” the cash-strapped Pakistan Railways. They said they would launch countrywide protests and jam the entire rail network if they did not start getting their salaries on time.
Former Railways minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed joined the protesters and claimed he could fix PR in two months. At a sit-in at the City Station, Ahmed told the workers that he would also protest and press the government to get PR’s act together.
“I can streamline Railways within two months. If I fail, they can hang me in front of Lal Haveli,” said the minister, referring to his famous residence in Rawalpindi.
Earlier, Ahmed and workers of his Awami Muslim League party marched from his office on Davis Road to the City Railway Station to join the protesting workers.
He demanded that corrupt PIA and Railways officials be put on the Exit Control List so they could not flee the country. He alleged that there was a tussle over “commission” on contracts for new engines between the PR minister and chairman. “No efforts are being made to streamline Pakistan Railways’ affairs despite the problems the passengers are facing,” he said.
Ahmed said that over Rs2 billion had been “plundered in the name of repair of faulty locomotives”, while no actual repairs had been done. He said that only 84 locomotives were currently fit enough to run and many of these were also on the verge of breakdown.
He accused the government of neglecting the rail service. He also said there was a conspiracy afoot to destroy rail infrastructure, since kerosene oil was being used in the engines and this led to faults in the locomotives. He said Pakistan did not have enough oil stock to last a day when India had enough stock for 90 days.
To a question, Ahmed said that he wanted to see the unification of all factions of the Muslim League, but Nawaz Sharif was not working towards this.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2011.
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India has stock for 90 days? Well Mr.Rashid knows it better than us perhaps? its 30 days at the max.